


Are you free tomorrow?

by NoMatterTheOceans



Series: Feysand Holiday Fluff Fest [27]
Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2019-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:02:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21957088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoMatterTheOceans/pseuds/NoMatterTheOceans
Summary: Part of my Feysand Holiday Fluff Fest!!!Prompt: I’ve spent the last nine months telling my family about my amazing partner and they just dumped me before the winter break; please be my fake partner
Relationships: Feyre Archeron/Rhysand
Series: Feysand Holiday Fluff Fest [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1552855
Kudos: 76





	Are you free tomorrow?

“Hey Feyre,” Rhys said mindlessly as he stepped inside her dorm room. “Is Mor here? She was supposed to give me -”

He stopped in his tracks as he took in Feyre, sitting silently on the bed, her phone in her hand, staring blankly at the empty space in front of her. She was wearing a large tee-shirt that fell loosely on her shoulders, and her hair was falling in a mess around her face.

“You okay, there?”

No answer.

“Feyre?”

Finally, her head snapped up to meet his eyes. “Are you free tomorrow?”

“What?”

She rolled her eyes at his answer, apparently not what the answer she’d been hoping for. “Tomorrow. You busy?”

“Not really, no. Why?”

“Can you come with me to my parents’ house and tell them you’re my boyfriend?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

She got up from the bed and started pacing. “Okay, so you know that I ended things with Tamlin last week, right?”

He restrained his smile. Of course he knew. How could he not when she had dumped him very publicly, in the middle of the cafeteria, at the busiest hour of the day? He could still see the tool’s shocked face when she’d walked away from him without even glancing back as he called her desperately.

“Yeah I know,” he answered in what he hoped was a neutral voice. But Feyre didn’t seem to notice his attempt at hiding his smile, she just kept pacing, and now she was moving her arms around as she spoke.

“Okay, so my sisters have been bothering me because they think I was lying to them about actually having a boyfriend.”

“Why didn’t you send a picture or something?”

She stopped in her tracks to look at him. “Because I’m a very private person and who I’m dating is none of their business. Are you done asking questions so I can speak?”

She was clearly flustered, and he couldn’t help but find her incredibly cute as she glared at him with both hands on her hips.

“Sorry. I’m listening.”

She resumed pacing. “Yeah, so anyway they convinced me to bring him to our family dinner tomorrow, and now I dumped him, and I just know they’re gonna spend the entire day bothering me because of it, and say that I made him up. So, are you free tomorrow?”

“You want me to go to your parents’ house?”

“Yes.”

“And tell them I’m your boyfriend.”

“Exactly.”

“And we’ve been together for six months.”

“Seven.”

She was staring at him, waiting, and he crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s in it for me?”

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s say I come with you tomorrow. What do I gain out of it?” Of course, the idea of spending a whole day with her would be enough, but he didn’t want to admit that to her after she had barely broken up from a long relationship. So he let a smirk take over his lips and waited. Finally, she talked.

“A free meal?”

“Yeah, I can get that just by going to hang out with Cassian and Az.”

“Okay, okay. How about I help you pass art history next quarter? I know you’ve been struggling, maybe we could study together?”

Well, if she was offering alone time together for at least three months, there was no way he would turn her down. Against himself, he let his smirk turned into a gentle smile, and nodded.

“Okay I’m in.”

***

Why she had ever suggested he come with her, she would never understand.

When Rhys had barged inside her room the previous afternoon, she had been desperate, and it had seemed like a good idea. A way to fend off her sisters’ skepticism and buy herself some quiet and peaceful time until the next family dinner. They would arrive together, chat a little, eat, and then leave and it would be over.

Except things weren’t exactly going as planned. Because Rhys was good at faking being her boyfriend. Way too good.

They were waiting for her dad to bring dessert on the table, and Rhys had an arm casually flung around the back of her chair, chatting with her sister about their life in college. And he was very enthusiastic about giving her details about their fake relationship. She was barely listening to him, trying to channel all her energy in ignoring the slight brush of his fingers against her shoulders, when what he was saying caught her attention.

“ - No actually, our first date was at a cinema. This small little place just outside of campus. I bumped into Feyre there and we ended up sitting together to watch this awful movie, I think it was French? Anyway, after the movie, we shared a coffee and got to talking, and that’s when I asked her out for real.”

He was talking about a real evening. A week after her first date with Tamlin. They had ended up laughing through most of the movie, not caring about the other viewers shushing them repeatedly. Then they had talked for the longest time, seating together in that cafe across the street from the cinema. Except he hadn’t asked her out.

And now she needed to know.

She got up suddenly, and everybody looked at her in surprise. “I think we’re running low on wine, I’m going to get a new bottle downstairs. Rhys, will you accompany me?”

He seemed startled, but he gave her a smile and got up. “Of course.”

She hurried out of the room and opened the door to the basement, letting him go first before she followed and closed the door behind her.

“So, what bottle do you think we should bring up? I was thinking -”

“Rhys.”

He turned to her with a frown. “What? Was I trying too hard? I’m sorry, I know you told me to stay chill but it’s way more fun than I imagined and -”

“No it’s not about that. Rhys, that story about our first date.”

“Was it too real for you? I just thought it’d be easier to lie if we just tweak things that really happened.”

“No, it’s not that, that’s a good idea. It’s just…” she trailed off, not knowing how to phrase what she wanted to ask him. But he was looking at her intently now, waiting, because he had felt she wasn't finished. He could always sense how she really felt. “Rhys, were you gonna ask me out that night?”

She saw him bite into his lip at that, and he rubbed his hand on the back of his neck, looking away from her. Then he answered. “You were so pretty that evening in the cafe, with your red summer dress and your lose hair and your red lipstick. And you seemed to be having as much fun as I did so… But then your phone rang, and it was Tamlin, and you ignored it, but you told me you’d been dating for about a week so…”

He hadn’t answered the question. Not really. But she knew. She took a step towards him and took his hand in hers, slowly interlacing their fingers together, waiting. Finally, he turned to look at her, and she could see the faint blush on his cheeks, and the worry in his shy smile. She rose her other hand to cup his cheek.

“He’s not here now.”

And his voice was low when he answered, hopeful. “I know.”

“Then what are you waiting for?”

His smile turned into a grin, and his fingers squeezed her hand tighter. “Do you wanna go on a real date tomorrow?”

“I would love to.”

And they stayed here, standing in front of each other, smiling, until the door to the basement opened behind them. Elain stepped in and looked at them.

“You guys coming? We’re opening presents.”

Feyre turned to her sister, not letting go of Rhysand. “We’ll be right here.” And when Elain had closed the door again, she looked back at him. “Ready to fake for another hour?”

He nodded. “Only if you promise the real thing will be as good as tonight has been.”

She laughed, and rose on her feet to gently brush her lips against his and murmur against him: “Oh, I promise it will be even better.”


End file.
